Birdman turns the tables on Cosmic Crusader

What a day of racing we have! It’s the final day of the Cup Carnival and it appears to be a cracker.

Flemington sees the running of three Group 1s – the Champions Sprint (1200m), Champions Mile (1600m) and Champions Stakes (2000m).

Australia’s best sprinter, Tempted, will fare the Flemington straight for the first time, while champion mare Autumn Glow will make her Victorian debut!

Tap in here to keep up to date with all the happenings on what will be an exhilarating day at Flemington or listen live to David Taggart and Paul Sebastiani from HQ as they guide you through the day and pick some winners.

CHAMPIONS STAKES FINISHING ORDER

1 - Birdman
2 - Cosmic Crusader
3 - Sir Delius
4 - Aeliana
5 - Treasurethe Moment
6 - Attrition
7 - Land Legend
8 - Light Infantry Man
9 - Von Hauke
10 - Omni Man

CHAMPIONS MILE FINISHING ORDER

1 - Autumn Glow
2 - Lindermann
3 - Buckaroo
4 - Tom Kitten
5 - Sepals
6 - Within The Law
7 - Pounding
8 - El Soleado

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3:57pm - Everest winner beaten on Flemington straight debut

The 2026 Everest winner, Tempted, has been beaten in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m).

Recognised as Australia’s best sprinter, there were question marks on whether she would be able to handle the Flemington straight in her Victorian debut, and those questions have now been answered.

The mare tracked Joliestar the entire way, yet finished fifth, far away from the winner Point Barrow who lobbed at $17.

A punters nightmare.

4:37pm - WALLER TRIFECTA IN THE MILE

Chris Waller trifecta’s the Champions Mile with Autumn Glow, Lindermann and Buckaroo.

The owners would be delighted watching the great mare go around at Flemington during Cup week and she did enough to get over a gutsy Lindermann.

Finishing Order.

1 - Autumn Glow
2 - Lindermann
3 - Buckaroo
4 - Tom Kitten
5 - Sepals
6 - Within The Law
7 - Pounding
8 - El Soleado

3:15pm - $46 roughie steals the Group 2 Matriarch

Just three days ago Sun Gift was beaten by nearly 8 lengths three in the Kyneton Cup.

Now, it has backed up as a $46 roughie in Race 5 at Flemington – the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) – and won the race.

A gang of opposition lunged at the mare late, including the favourite Too Darn Discreet, but they couldn’t make up the lost ground in time.

2:33pm - $15 pop takes out Fisher Stakes

Watchme Win has taken out Race 4 at Flemington - the Fisher Stakes (1200m).

It was a peach of a ride by jockey Blake Shinn, who has now ridden an early double, after winning Race 1 with Soldi.

Inkaruna ran second while Godolphin's Photograph finished third.

2:08pm - Fisher's tip for his race

World-renowned DJ Fisher has delivered a tip for his very own race – the Fisher Stakes.

Raced on the Flemington straight in Race 4, Fisher tipped the favourite Hankee Alpha on Channel Nine’s broadcast.

Hankee Alpha is currently paying $3.60 to take out the Fisher Stakes.

1:56pm - Former Melbourne Cup favourite beaten by J-Mac + Waller duo

The former Melbourne Cup favourite, Defiantly, who was scratched a few days before the Cup, made his Australian debut in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) in Race 3 at Flemington.

However, he finished outside the placings in fourth and was beaten by the Chris Waller-trained Pinhole who was ridden by James McDonald.

J-Mac told Channel Nine after the victory that Pinhole would love a Melbourne Cup run next year.

1:25pm - Early warning signs for Cosmic Crusader's Champions Stakes chances?

Race 2 at Flemington has been won by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Superfabulistic.

The mare was ridden on speed by Rachel King, and there was no taking ground off the five-year-old.

Expert analyst Mick Gannon believes this will be a race pattern which will hurt the potential of Cosmic Crusader’s winning chances in the Group 1 Champions Stakes later today.

“It's as obvious as the day is long; the track is just going to play like that all afternoon for the circle races,” Gannon said on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

“You want horses up on speed. That's why we'll take on Cosmic Crusader and the likes this afternoon.”

Is the 2026 Cox Plate winner in trouble for the Champions Stakes?

12:43pm - Lindsay Park filly dominates to kick off Flemington card

It was the Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained filly Soldi who took out Race 1 at Flemington.

Running along the straight across 1000m, the two-year-old won with ease, proving why she was the favourite.

Goddess Kay finished second while She’s Supreme ran third.

Soldi is sitting at $15 to win the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) in March.

8:26am - Flemington track conditions update

Liam O’Keeffe, the Flemington track manager, has provided an update on the conditions at HQ.

He revealed that the Melbourne rain has actually missed HQ, so the track currently sits at a Good 4 and could be upgraded to a Good 3.

“We have fortunately (missed the rain),” O’Keeffe told RSN’s First Word.

“We’ve only received 3 millimetres of rainfall (overnight), and believe it or not, the sun's actually starting to come out now.

“We're on a Good 4 at the moment. I'd expect if we don't receive any more rainfall, we'll get to a Good 3 in the middle part of the card.

“Even if we do get a shower or two, we'll still stay in the Good 4 range.”

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